On Friday, 19th January, the energetic and enthusiastic David McCormack of ‘Skip2BFit’ bounded into St Laurence CE Junior Academy with a mission to promote physical activity and inspire children to embrace skipping as a fun form of exercise.
The event aimed not only to improve the children’s physical fitness but also to instil the values of setting and beating personal bests.
Pupils gathered in the school’s hall, skipping ropes in hand, as McCormack led the workshop. The lively session involved a two-minute skipping challenge, during which students attempted to achieve as many skips as possible. To add an extra layer of excitement, scores were recorded on the skip counter integrated into their skipping ropes.
After posting their initial scores, the children faced an additional challenge – to beat their own scores. Despite tired legs and breathless moments, many students successfully surpassed their personal bests, showcasing determination and improvement in their skipping skills.
‘Skip2BFit’ promotes the idea that personal bests matter, emphasising that each child can challenge themselves and improve their own performance, irrespective of external benchmarks, giving a sense of accomplishment and self-motivation.
Mr Wells, the school’s PE Lead, said: “Skip2BFit is a fantastic concept and we were thrilled to have David deliver this engaging workshop. The children not only left feeling inspired to embrace a healthier lifestyle through skipping but also with the knowledge that their best is indeed good enough.
“They now understand that they can set personal challenges and surpass their own achievements, regardless of external comparisons.”
To promote overall well-being, healthy eating habits were also emphasised during the event. As a reward for their efforts, all participating children were given free blueberries as a nutritious snack.
The success of the ‘Skip2BFit’ workshop at St Laurence CE Junior Academy highlights the positive impact of interactive and engaging fitness programmes in schools.